Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale

Cask at Delaney’s. Clear amber. Thick off-white head. Buttery aroma of simple sugar and cookies. A tad stale smelling. Nice mouthfeel, cask pull. Quaffable low carbonation. Interesting flavor profile is herbal, spicy, some alcohol, sweet in places and dry in others. Smooth. An intriguing drink.

Date: March 21, 2009
Mode: Firkin
Source: Brick Store Pub
Appearance: cloudy rusty orange, frothy beige head, streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma, light floral hops
Flavor: sweet and fruity flavor, generally light but full of flavor, nice depth on the fruityness, orange and apricot, just a hint of bitterness but the sweetness is pretty well restrained, hint of spicyness, light bitterness in the finish, hint of alcohol at the bottom of the glass
Overall: a light barley wine but really nice with the depth of the fruityness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

On cask at Max’s In Baltimore. Poured a nice orange golden color with a frothy thick white head. Aroma was fruit, peaches, nectarines, a little citrus as well as some light caramel. Flavor was more peaches and light fruit. Alcohol was pretty strong in this one. Pretty nice beer.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, orange-amber body with a full inch of off-white foam on top that lasts until the very last sip. Smell: Honey-glazed toffee with a handful of fruitcake crumbles and a tot of white wine served on the side. Taste: Sweet blend of honey and toffee candy washed down with some Sauvignon blanc. Short-lived fruitiness. Herbal hops with a medium bitterness. The alcohol component in this one is rather boisterous, occasionally delivering some hotness. Long, dry finish with a sweet, winey taste. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-low carbonation. Just a touch sticky. Drinkability: A decent English-born cask ale, but, I must say, one pint was more than enough for me.

Cask @ Brick Store Pub. Big sweet fruit aroma, with a bit of pepper, and a lot of alcohol. Flavor was moderately bitter and hot, with some toffee...enjoyable on cask until the end which was a weird metallic finish.

Cask at the Chelsea Pier Cask Ale festival. The aroma had a wierd metallic quality, along with some malty sweetness. The color was a brownish yellow, usually pale for an Old Ale or a Barley Wine, white head. The flavor has a malty, fruity quality, with some alcohol coming through. The finish is sweet, with very light hops noticeable. Not bad overall.

Cask at Spuyten Duyvil. Dead appearance. Sweetish flavor but with a chemical astringency. Loaded with cyanide and formaldehyde. A buttery mess. Very hard to drink.

Cask at Spuyten Duyvil. Pale golden coloured beer with a thin white head. Aroma is lightly malty with a softly honeyish aroma. A bit of toasted grain and light caramel along with a bit of herbal character. It’s lightly oaky but without any real spirit character. A bit of mint and a touch of lingering oakiness. A lightly lingering oaky chewiness.